


Inversion of the Body Snatchers

by SongofStarlight



Category: Wolf 359 (Radio)
Genre: After Bolero, Confusion, Feelings, Minkowski pow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-23
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-10-09 20:37:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10421262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SongofStarlight/pseuds/SongofStarlight
Summary: Minkowski didn't really have a choice. Lovelace had been murdered by Kepler. And yet Lovelace, or Lovelace’s clone, was miraculously breathing at her own own funeral. Minkowski wanted answers, and still had her gun.





	

Minkowski didn't really have a choice. Lovelace had been murdered by Kepler. And yet, Lovelace, or Lovelace’s clone, was miraculously breathing at her own funeral. Minkowski wanted answers, and still had her gun.  
‘I can do this.’  
“Eiffel, take the handcuffs off.”  
In shock, he spun to face her.   
‘Right?’  
“Commander? What are you thinking?”  
“That there’s a dead woman breathing in that body bag, who isn't a dead woman, but an alien clone with her memories.”  
Eiffel cut her off, “which is certainly very interesting, but probably not worth letting that maniac” he dramatically pointed  
at Kepler “go free. He’s caused enough damage as it is.”  
“Which is why he's not going free.” Minkowski grabbed her gun, and with a flourish, pointed it at Kepler’s head. “And I'm still in charge.”  
“Still here you know” Kepler, the smug bastard, drawled. “And I don't see the point of you being in charge. You're clearly out of your depth and not at all qualified to handle the current situation on this station.”  
Minkowski bristled, but it was the ever loyal Eiffel and Hera that reacted first.  
Minkowski took in a deep breath, and started mentally counting to ten, letting the overlapping cries of “Minkowski is a great commander!” and “Lieutenant, please don't listen to him” wash over her.  
When she had let out her breath and unclenched her hands and shoulders, Minkowski spoke. “The support is greatly appreciated, but can you two kindly shut up?”  
They shut up. Eiffel looked like he was physically holding in words with his teeth. Minkowski turned to face Kepler. “I'm afraid that I can't in good conscience,” Kepler laughed sardonically, “agree to transfer command over to you. The information would be nice, but it is not worth that.”  
“Then how do you expect to defend yourself and your crew? You just lost two of them in your little mutiny only to lose the rest to aliens?”  
Minkowski wavered.  
“Commander, don't listen to him.” Eiffel pleaded. “If the contact event is happening now, and we are as undefended as he says, then it's not likely that any knowledge he has would really help us at this point.”  
“Are you sure about that officer Eiffel? I have a good deal of knowledge about what's happening here.” Kepler said.  
“Which you would have told us about by now if you really cared about protecting anyone from the invasion of the body cloners.”  
He has a point there. Minkowski’s eyes landed on Jacobi, who was silent as a grave for this entire time.   
‘All of his devotion for that bastard.’  
Minkowski wondered if Kepler was really stubborn enough to not give information that could save himself; just because he was not in charge.  
“Eiffel, help me put the prisoners back in their cells. Hera, watch over Lovelace until we get back.”  
The Captain’s breathing had slowed down a little, and was in the process of evening out, but it wasn’t at a normal rate yet.  
“Once again Minkowski, that thing isn't Captain Lovelace.” Kepler said.  
“But,” said Eiffel. “She looks, talked, acted, remembered and even medically checked out as Captain Isabel Lovelace. And the odds are that she'll continue to do that.”  
“Which means” Minkowski added “that she deserves the same respect at the original.”  
~~~  
Kepler and Jacobi went into their cells without a fight. The whole process made Minkowski a little nostalgic for the days when she and Eiffel had kept Hilbert in the observation deck. At least then there had only been one prisoner for them to deal with.  
“How's Lovelace 2.0 doing Hera?”  
“Her breathing has steadied officer Eiffel.”  
“And her other life signs?” Asked Minkowski.  
“Within the normal acceptable parameters for a human.”  
“Good,” said Minkowski. Her and Eiffel were walking back to the living, breathing body of the Captain; and Minkowski could still hear its breathing in her ears.  
“Minkowski?”  
“Yes Eiffel?”  
“Do you think she'll remember how she died?”  
“Which time?”  
“I don't know. Either, both?”  
“If it works the same way this time around, then she will probably remember everything up to a certain point before her death; but not her actual death.”  
“Unless she, the actual, or I guess real Captain Loveless died in her sleep on that escape pod.”  
“Then I guess either way, she would not have remembered dying that time. If she doesn't remember this time, then we’ll just tell her what happened.”  
“Oh.”  
“Eiffel, what's wrong?”  
“It's, the way she died.”  
“Kepler was going to kill one of you Doug.”  
“I know. It's just, she died making sure that it wouldn’t be a fifty fifty chance anymore.”  
“That isn't your fault Doug.”  
“I” he paused “know that. I still don't like that she threw away her life for mine.”  
Minkowski didn't know what to say to make him feel better. So she acted on a rushed impulse. “I'd feel sad if you were gone. Even if I was still mad at you. I’d miss you. A lot.”  
She could almost see the end of her sentence dissipating into the recycled air.   
“I’m glad you’re alive too Minkowski.”  
Minkowski was able to take a breath in and let it out before Hera timidly interrupted any response that she might have made. “Lieutenant?”  
“Yes, Hera?’  
“There's, unusual pressure readings in Engineering and Communications.”   
Eiffel visibly swallowed.  
There were times when Minkowski wondered how her life got so surreal. “Do you know what the cause is?”  
“Not at this time lieutenant.”   
“Do you have a guess of what the cause is?”  
“What do you think lieutenant?”  
“That all of this is above my pay grade.”  
“I don't think that any of us are getting paid for this lieutenant.”  
“Exactly.”


End file.
